gangotri-gaumukh....kedartal trek

crimsonharsh · Sep 21st, 2004, 06:46

I am frm Delhi and We (group of 5) are planning to do the gangotri-gaumukh-tapovan-nandanvan-Vasukital-kedartal trek in last week of september (around 26-27 sept. 04). Being this our first ever trek we need advise over these issues :
1) where to get a good guide and how much do they charge approx.
2) do we get camp and other trekking gear(cooking stove, good sleeping bags,fuel etc) at gangotri ? if not then where ?
3) what about weather and temp conditions at this time of the year ?
4) if any one planning to be in the area around the same time n interested
5) where to stay in gangotri-bhojbhasa and what are the charges as we are on a tight budget.
6) has anybody ever done kedartal and vasukital trek and can guide us about the route as very less is known about them.

thanks...a prompt reply would be of great help as we are pushing off this weekend.

AvidTrekker · Sep 22nd, 2004, 01:41

1. Guides available at Uttarkashi @ 400 to 500 rs per day. Many trekking agencies there.

2. Some trekking gear will be available at Uttarkashi.... but not good quality. Sleeping bags etc better get from Delhi.

3. Weather and temp at Tapovan.... day will be 24 to 30 deg Celsius. Night will be minus four to plus four deg Celsius. Maybe you will not be able to make it upto Nandanvan if fresh snow has occurred in the area.

4. Maybe yes, maybe no.

5. Gangotri and Bujbasa stay in Dhabas or huts... not really expensive.

6. Are you planning to cross over from Nandanvan to Vasuki tal over the Gangotri glacier and the area East of Kedar dome? If so be prepared for a mountaineering expedition with the complete kit. (tons of money)

You sound like the groom in the "Joke of the day" thread who has fixed the date of marriage but has yet to find a bride.

You can do the trek upto Tapovan (maybe Nandanvan too) and return the same way. Going further is out of question .... even if you had the money. Its a matter of experience, of life and death. You cannot do this as your first ever trek, period.

You can also do the normal pilgrim's way to Kedarnath. Thence to Vasuki tal &/or Kedar Tal and back.

crimsonharsh · Sep 22nd, 2004, 08:20

thanks avid for replying....( whats ur name ? )
actually I went through a lot of site and many of them said that nandanvan-vasukital trek is ok and can be done by first timers though a little precaution is needed...anyways now that I know about it we will leave it out.

U said fresh snow has occured in nandanvan area can u plz. give that a little more in detail as to where did u get that information frm ( i mean is there some site then pass on the link or if u have tel no. of someone out there who can actually give me some information about weather out there right now ........it would be great) as someone told me its raining bad out there and it's almost impossible to reach even gangotri right now....

Is gangotri-kedartal possible ???????/

Harsh

AvidTrekker · Sep 22nd, 2004, 14:51

I used the word IF.... my exact words were....

"if fresh snow has occurred in the area."

Now you are only posting on the thread saying that its raining in Gangotri and now even Gangotri is unreachable......

As your first trek, why don't you try Milam Glacier and Sunderdoonga? Read Jeroen's excellent article/s in the trekking section.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crimsonharsh

Is gangotri-kedartal possible ???????/

With adequate knowledge, experience and prior preparation even going to Mars is possible...... what to say abt Gangotri to Kedartal? I know that somebody is attemting Kedar Dome right now.... but they are a fully prepared mountaineering expedition.

Someone has misguided you..... just head for Milam..... its a beautiful trek!!

aravjlt · Sep 22nd, 2004, 22:26

Good to hear from people who have been there and frm people who are going there in Sept, because I'm planning to do the tapovan trek in mid-october.

Avid, I'm a first timer too, and am planning to go on till tapovan, planning to hire tents/sleeping bags at rishikesh and then hire a guide/porter at gangotri.

any idea how the weather usually is in october?

AvidTrekker · Sep 23rd, 2004, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by aravjlt

Good to hear from people who have been there and frm people who are going there in Sept, because I'm planning to do the tapovan trek in mid-october.

Avid, I'm a first timer too, and am planning to go on till tapovan, planning to hire tents/sleeping bags at rishikesh and then hire a guide/porter at gangotri.

any idea how the weather usually is in october?

It is not possible to predict the Himalayan Weather. October has seen clear weather (no clouds) and COLDER nights going upto minus five or minus six on some days. Daytime would be very pleasant.... around 20 to 26 deg Celcius.

crimsonharsh · Sep 23rd, 2004, 02:40

Hi avid and aravjlt
I am sorry Avid I did miss out on "if". well as of now I did a little more research on this and found that yes it's still raining out there but the route is open and it has yet not started to snow. I talked to some people out there and came up with this. I am posting the phone numbers for anybody who is following this thread and plans for a trek in the area need to talk to these people.
Gmvn Guest House (Gangotri) : 013772-222220/222221
Telephone Exchange (Gangotri) : 013772-222298

As for weather one can also follow this link :

http://www.imd.ernet.in/section/nhac...al-weather.htm

dumb_bacchus · Sep 23rd, 2004, 03:28

hey
am ankur. even i am planning to take a trek this Desuhara break. No matter how much naive this sounds but i am still planning my trip. I am not sure where to go, but i know what i want to experience - snow for sure

..

I have these places in mind -
1. Pindari
2. Gangotari
3. Khatlin
at the moment...

I have done some small treks up Toash/Kasol. I dont mind taking these treks alone but wont mind joining a neat group {as it divides cost atleast}.. Well tell me about the gangotari trek u guys are planning?
n yes -thanks for the phone no's up gangotri ..

crimsonharsh · Sep 23rd, 2004, 10:32

Check this out.... It's a beautiful link for weather forecast in gangotri (India).

http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/p...ind+For ecast

aravjlt · Sep 23rd, 2004, 12:04

hey guys,

i'm glad i came in here because i met you guys!

avid, thanks for that info, colder sounds better than wetter! since this is the first time i'll be out there, just wondering if there is a list of gear thats like ***MUST TO HAVE*** for this trek?? probably taking the easier way out, but will appreciate the info

and harsh, thats exactly what i've been looking for, those links are pretty useful. you should also check out the gmvn website if you havent done so, especially this page - http://www.gmvnl.com/trekdetails.html#

will be looking fwd to hearing the travelog of yr trek as soon as you are back!

ankur, i've planned this trek to be on the dussehra break as well, so do send me a message if you want to trek to tapovan...well, the plan is to reach rishikesh on oct 16th, hire whatever equipment needed, reach gangotri on 17th, hire a guide/porter, and spend the next 4-5 days trekking to and back from tapovan, and get back to delhi on 24th. i'm based in bangalore and will be flying back to bangalore and got to get back to work on the 25th

i'm not going with a tour operator, but yes, more the merrier and we can share the cost of guide/equipment etc.,

cheers!
aravind

dumb_bacchus · Sep 24th, 2004, 03:46

Aravind - cool
Sounds great.. Can you send me a mail on dumb_bacchus@yahoo.com .. lets take some time n talk - work on logestics/finances/stuff...

btw - how many of you are planning to take this trip?

crimsonharsh · Sep 24th, 2004, 03:50

I have been going through some maps Avid and u would be surprised to know there are actually two "Vasuki Tal" in this area. one near nandanvan approx. 10-11 km on the way to Badrinath via "Kalindi Khal Pass" and other east of KedarDome and Katling Glacier ( near kedarnath ).
Similarly there are two "Tapovan" one near Gangotri and the other near Badrinath.
I just hope my maps ( Nest & Wings ) are right.

AvidTrekker · Sep 24th, 2004, 04:40

The Nest & Wings maps are not known for their accuracy. Their scale is totally haywire. The actual Vasuki tal as per Survey of India trekking map is near Kedarnath.

crimsonharsh · Oct 6th, 2004, 22:29

Hi Avid, I don't know which out of the two "Nest and Wings" or "Survey of India trekking Maps" is accurate but I did this route last week and came back today itself. Though I was not able to make it to nandanvan or vasuki tal due to real bad weather but as per local information there is one vasuki tal near nandanvan also ( 6 km frm nandan van ).

aravjlt · Oct 7th, 2004, 00:28

Hey harsh!

Great to know that you did the trek successfully...and also concerned about the real bad weather. Myself and ankur [dumb_bacchus here] are planning to do this trek the week after next. Would appreciate more info on your experience...I want to give you a call to find out more...how bad was the weather? were you able to trek to tapovan without major problems? and is there acco available in tapovan or you camped out
?

Sep 21st, 2004, 06:46	#1
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	gangotri-gaumukh....kedartal trek I am frm Delhi and We (group of 5) are planning to do the gangotri-gaumukh-tapovan-nandanvan-Vasukital-kedartal trek in last week of september (around 26-27 sept. 04). Being this our first ever trek we need advise over these issues : 1) where to get a good guide and how much do they charge approx. 2) do we get camp and other trekking gear(cooking stove, good sleeping bags,fuel etc) at gangotri ? if not then where ? 3) what about weather and temp conditions at this time of the year ? 4) if any one planning to be in the area around the same time n interested 5) where to stay in gangotri-bhojbhasa and what are the charges as we are on a tight budget. 6) has anybody ever done kedartal and vasukital trek and can guide us about the route as very less is known about them. thanks...a prompt reply would be of great help as we are pushing off this weekend. Last edited by -m2- : Sep 21st, 2004 at 09:56. Reason: fix title formating problem

Sep 22nd, 2004, 01:41	#2
AvidTrekker Veda Chanting & Mantra Yoga teacher Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: body in Mumbai, head in Himalaya Posts: 2,819	Your Route is not clear........ 1. Guides available at Uttarkashi @ 400 to 500 rs per day. Many trekking agencies there. 2. Some trekking gear will be available at Uttarkashi.... but not good quality. Sleeping bags etc better get from Delhi. 3. Weather and temp at Tapovan.... day will be 24 to 30 deg Celsius. Night will be minus four to plus four deg Celsius. Maybe you will not be able to make it upto Nandanvan if fresh snow has occurred in the area. 4. Maybe yes, maybe no. 5. Gangotri and Bujbasa stay in Dhabas or huts... not really expensive. 6. Are you planning to cross over from Nandanvan to Vasuki tal over the Gangotri glacier and the area East of Kedar dome? If so be prepared for a mountaineering expedition with the complete kit. (tons of money) You sound like the groom in the "Joke of the day" thread who has fixed the date of marriage but has yet to find a bride. You can do the trek upto Tapovan (maybe Nandanvan too) and return the same way. Going further is out of question .... even if you had the money. Its a matter of experience, of life and death. You cannot do this as your first ever trek, period. You can also do the normal pilgrim's way to Kedarnath. Thence to Vasuki tal &/or Kedar Tal and back. __________________ The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

Sep 22nd, 2004, 08:20	#3
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	thanks Avid thanks avid for replying....( whats ur name ? ) actually I went through a lot of site and many of them said that nandanvan-vasukital trek is ok and can be done by first timers though a little precaution is needed...anyways now that I know about it we will leave it out. U said fresh snow has occured in nandanvan area can u plz. give that a little more in detail as to where did u get that information frm ( i mean is there some site then pass on the link or if u have tel no. of someone out there who can actually give me some information about weather out there right now ........it would be great) as someone told me its raining bad out there and it's almost impossible to reach even gangotri right now.... Is gangotri-kedartal possible ???????/ Harsh

Sep 22nd, 2004, 22:26	#5
aravjlt Fun on the Run Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 22	hi folks! Good to hear from people who have been there and frm people who are going there in Sept, because I'm planning to do the tapovan trek in mid-october. Avid, I'm a first timer too, and am planning to go on till tapovan, planning to hire tents/sleeping bags at rishikesh and then hire a guide/porter at gangotri. any idea how the weather usually is in october?

Sep 23rd, 2004, 02:40	#7
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	Hi Avid again Hi avid and aravjlt I am sorry Avid I did miss out on "if". well as of now I did a little more research on this and found that yes it's still raining out there but the route is open and it has yet not started to snow. I talked to some people out there and came up with this. I am posting the phone numbers for anybody who is following this thread and plans for a trek in the area need to talk to these people. Gmvn Guest House (Gangotri) : 013772-222220/222221 Telephone Exchange (Gangotri) : 013772-222298 As for weather one can also follow this link : http://www.imd.ernet.in/section/nhac...al-weather.htm

Sep 23rd, 2004, 03:28	#8
dumb_bacchus Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Delhi Posts: 164	hey am ankur. even i am planning to take a trek this Desuhara break. No matter how much naive this sounds but i am still planning my trip. I am not sure where to go, but i know what i want to experience - snow for sure .. I have these places in mind - 1. Pindari 2. Gangotari 3. Khatlin at the moment... I have done some small treks up Toash/Kasol. I dont mind taking these treks alone but wont mind joining a neat group {as it divides cost atleast}.. Well tell me about the gangotari trek u guys are planning? n yes -thanks for the phone no's up gangotri ..

Sep 23rd, 2004, 10:32	#9
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	weather in gangotri Check this out.... It's a beautiful link for weather forecast in gangotri (India). http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/p...ind+For ecast

Sep 23rd, 2004, 12:04	#10
aravjlt Fun on the Run Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 22	we got a good thing going here... hey guys, i'm glad i came in here because i met you guys! avid, thanks for that info, colder sounds better than wetter! since this is the first time i'll be out there, just wondering if there is a list of gear thats like *MUST TO HAVE* for this trek?? probably taking the easier way out, but will appreciate the info and harsh, thats exactly what i've been looking for, those links are pretty useful. you should also check out the gmvn website if you havent done so, especially this page - http://www.gmvnl.com/trekdetails.html# will be looking fwd to hearing the travelog of yr trek as soon as you are back! ankur, i've planned this trek to be on the dussehra break as well, so do send me a message if you want to trek to tapovan...well, the plan is to reach rishikesh on oct 16th, hire whatever equipment needed, reach gangotri on 17th, hire a guide/porter, and spend the next 4-5 days trekking to and back from tapovan, and get back to delhi on 24th. i'm based in bangalore and will be flying back to bangalore and got to get back to work on the 25th i'm not going with a tour operator, but yes, more the merrier and we can share the cost of guide/equipment etc., cheers! aravind

Sep 24th, 2004, 03:46	#11
dumb_bacchus Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Delhi Posts: 164	Aravind - cool Sounds great.. Can you send me a mail on dumb_bacchus@yahoo.com .. lets take some time n talk - work on logestics/finances/stuff... btw - how many of you are planning to take this trip?

Sep 24th, 2004, 03:50	#12
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	Hi Avid I have been going through some maps Avid and u would be surprised to know there are actually two "Vasuki Tal" in this area. one near nandanvan approx. 10-11 km on the way to Badrinath via "Kalindi Khal Pass" and other east of KedarDome and Katling Glacier ( near kedarnath ). Similarly there are two "Tapovan" one near Gangotri and the other near Badrinath. I just hope my maps ( Nest & Wings ) are right.

Sep 24th, 2004, 04:40	#13
AvidTrekker Veda Chanting & Mantra Yoga teacher Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: body in Mumbai, head in Himalaya Posts: 2,819	The Nest & Wings maps are not known for their accuracy. Their scale is totally haywire. The actual Vasuki tal as per Survey of India trekking map is near Kedarnath.

Oct 6th, 2004, 22:29	#14
crimsonharsh Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: India Posts: 48	Hi Avid, I don't know which out of the two "Nest and Wings" or "Survey of India trekking Maps" is accurate but I did this route last week and came back today itself. Though I was not able to make it to nandanvan or vasuki tal due to real bad weather but as per local information there is one vasuki tal near nandanvan also ( 6 km frm nandan van ).

Oct 7th, 2004, 00:28	#15
aravjlt Fun on the Run Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 22	Hey harsh! Great to know that you did the trek successfully...and also concerned about the real bad weather. Myself and ankur [dumb_bacchus here] are planning to do this trek the week after next. Would appreciate more info on your experience...I want to give you a call to find out more...how bad was the weather? were you able to trek to tapovan without major problems? and is there acco available in tapovan or you camped out ?

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